"We expect both these new partners and product ranges to generate a considerable amount of interest as they bring quality and competitive machine solutions to our local market, and all backed by the most extensive support network in southern Africa," says Sales and Marketing Director of Bell Equipment Sales South Africa (BESSA), Mark Hughes.

"The Kobelco range of excavators, from 5,5t to 85t, was added to the Bell stable in mid-2017 and has been extremely well accepted by the Bell customer base. Japanese-based Kobelco is widely recognised as a global excavator specialist and through this partnership we are able to offer competitively priced and perfectly matched loading tools for our range of Articulated Dump Trucks in the construction, quarrying, mining and forestry industries."

Additionally, the introduction of the KAMAZ trucks at the end of 2017 has given Bell a presence in the southern Africa tipper truck market for the first time, to further expand the company's one-stop-shop offering to customers in the region.

Established in 1969, KAMAZ manufactures out of Naberezhnye Chelny in Russia and today accounts for half the trucks sold in that country, as well as being represented in 80 countries around the world. Although new to southern Africa, KAMAZ is synonymous with providing purpose designed trucks to the harshest applications, and this has been borne out by the company's consistently strong performance in the challenging Dakar Rally.

The first phase of the KAMAZ introduction consists of four models, which are available in left hand or right hand drive configurations. The models include two 6x4 trucks with payloads of 15 and 20 tonnes, a 6x6 truck with a payload of 19,5 tonnes and an 8x4 truck with a payload of 25,5 tonnes.

Alongside the Kobelco and KAMAZ products, Bell will also exhibit an extensive range of its own manufactured products, including Articulated Dump Trucks and Tractor Loader Backhoes, as well as displaying machines from its long standing partners Deere, Bomag and Finlay.

Commenting on the value of trade shows, and bauma Conexpo Africa in particular, Bell Equipment Group Marketing Director, Stephen Jones said: "There is absolutely no doubt that trade shows can be extremely beneficial to both the users and providers of plant. With bauma Conexpo Africa providing the platform for this interaction it is imperative that those who can make it work come out and support it. For users of equipment the southern African market is very competitive with good equipment choices significantly affecting the chance of success. With a large number of brands competing there is value for users of equipment to be able to visit one location and be able to closely interact with manufacturers and distributors to help guide those critical buying decisions.

"bauma Conexpo Africa has a particularly strong appeal to Bell because of our African heritage and our approach to provide a one-stop shop for quality equipment solutions in the region. There is also a lack of well supported platforms in the industry and our commitment is to work alongside bauma Conexpo Africa to make the show a success and, most importantly, add significant value to the users of equipment across the region."

In closing, Hughes adds: "As a full range supplier with the largest network in southern Africa, we look forward to interacting with existing and prospective Bell customers, partners and other visitors to the show and extend an open invitation to visit us at stand ES230, Johannesburg Exhibition Centre during 13 to 16 March 2018."